Book: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Book Info:Published by HarperTeen; 435 pages; hardcover; borrowed from the library

Goodreads Summary: In the beginning, there’s a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she’s part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn’t easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there’s another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara’s less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she’d have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

I loved this book!  I thought it was an interesting take on angels, and it was so hard to put down!

I liked Hand’s angel mythology, which is slowly revealed over the course of the novel.  She didn’t take a particular side- it wasn’t preachy, and it wasn’t blasphemous.  I thought the Dark Wings were interesting, and I want to know more about them, and their role in the rest of the series.

A lot of things were left open, and while a lot of things were resolved, I can’t wait to read the next book.  I also liked that Clara’s purpose was slowly revealed, and that you’re not entirely sure if it’s been fulfilled properly and what the consequences will be.

I also liked the characters, but found that her mom was my least favorite.  Her insistence that Clara figure everything out herself got really annoying by the end.  But other than that, the characters were really interesting, and were developed really well.  I connected with Clara and thought her journey was interesting, and yet realistic as she figured things.

What’s so interesting about this book is that the angels weren’t just there.  They have a purpose, a reason for being there.  There’s nothing wrong with the paranormal-creature-0f the-month just being there, but it was refreshing to see angels with a purpose.

It gets a 5 out of 5.  The pacing, characters, and mythology were well-written.  The mythology was subtle and interesting.  And I loved the setting and imagery!  It was a great read.

Book: War Child by Emmanuel Jal

Book Info: Published by St. Martin’s Press; 272 pages; hardcover; borrowed from the library

Goodreads Summary: In the mid-1980s, Emmanuel Jal was a seven year old Sudanese boy, living in a small village with his parents, aunts, uncles, and siblings. But as Sudan’s civil war moved closer—with the Islamic government seizing tribal lands for water, oil, and other resources—Jal’s family moved again and again, seeking peace. Then, on one terrible day, Jal was separated from his mother, and later learned she had been killed; his father Simon rose to become a powerful commander in the Christian Sudanese Liberation Army, fighting for the freedom of Sudan. Soon, Jal was conscripted into that army, one of 10,000 child soldiers, and fought through two separate civil wars over nearly a decade. 
 
But, remarkably, Jal survived, and his life began to change when he was adopted by a British aid worker. He began the journey that would lead him to change his name and to music: recording and releasing his own album, which produced the number one hip-hop single in Kenya, and from there went on to perform with Moby, Bono, Peter Gabriel, and other international music stars. 
 
Shocking, inspiring, and finally hopeful, War Child is a memoir by a unique young man, who is determined to tell his story and in so doing bring peace to his homeland.

This was interesting.  I’ve heard of the Lost Boys, but other than hearing the name, I didn’t know anything about them.

I liked seeing what things were like for him, and how his life was changed because of what he’s been through.  I can’t even begin to imagine what things were like for him…betrayal, being forced to fight, and starvation don’t seem to cover half of what being a child soldier entailed.  It was inspiring to see him go from child soldier to being a successful singer.

I’m glad I read it, because you see that while it’s possible to move on, one can never truly recover from something so horrific.

I liked it, but it’s more about what his own experience was like.  You don’t get an overview of what happened or anything, but I would like to learn more about what lead to the civil wars in Sudan.  While it’s a linear story, it felt a little disjointed.  It was linear, but it didn’t feel linear- if that makes any sense.

I give it a 3 out of 5.  It’s interesting, but I felt a little disconnected from the story.

Book: Night Road by Kristin Hannah

Book Info: Published by St. Martin’s Press; 385 pages; hardcover; from the library

Goodreads Summary: For a mother, life comes down to a series of choices.
To hold on…
To let go..
To forget…
To forgive…
Which road will you take? 

For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach—are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable. 

Jude does everything to keep her kids safe and on track for college. It has always been easy– until senior year of high school. Suddenly she is at a loss. Nothing feels safe anymore; every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them. 

On a hot summer’s night her worst fears come true. One decision will change the course of their lives. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget…or the courage to forgive.

NIGHT ROAD is vivid, emotionally complex novel that raises profound questions about motherhood, identity, love, and forgiveness. It is a luminous, heartbreaking novel that captures both the exquisite pain of loss and the stunning power of hope. This is Kristin Hannah at her very best, telling an unforgettable story about the longing for family, the resilience of the human heart, and the courage it takes to forgive the people we love.

If you love Lifetime movies, this is the book for you!  I personally didn’t like it, because pretty much every character was irritating.  Not a surprise, given it reads like a Lifetime movie.

I found Jude and Mia to be the most irritating.  Jude, because she’s the typical helicopter parent who tries to be cool and supportive but has a tantrum and freaks out because her kids do something she doesn’t like.  She really needs to get a life…and after Mia dies, she gets worse.  I got so tired of hearing about how horrible Lexi was and how it was all her fault.  Mia was equally as annoying, because she was super clingy and insecure.

Which brings me to her twin brother Zach and her best friend Lexi.  Zach has to choose between Lexi and Mia, because apparently Mia can’t go to USC all by herself.  Why does he have to choose?  Lexi, while annoying, was one of the less annoying characters.  But if I heard one more time that Zach and Mia had chances she didn’t, I would’ve thrown the book at the wall.  Or, because it’s a library book and throwing it at a wall might be bad, punch something soft so as not to hurt myself.

The ending didn’t fit with the rest of the book, and everything was wrapped up with a nice little bow.  Seriously?  It’s like she realized she had to end the book at some point, and decided that she needed to have a super happy ending where everything works out perfectly.

I have to give it a 1 out of 5.  The characters were too superficial, and it screamed Lifetime movie.

Book: Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Book Info: Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 337; Hardcover; from the library

Goodreads Summary: Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all–hope–in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

I really, really liked Life As We Knew It.  I felt like it really could happen, and it was pretty realistic.

Miranda was pretty spoiled at the beginning of the book, but by the end, she really matured.  It was interesting to see how Miranda, her brothers, and her mom survived an asteroid hitting the moon and knocking it closeer to the earth.

It wa a little weird reading it, because I felt like I needed to go out and stock up on food, water and other supplies.  It makes you think about what you would do, and if you’d be willing to sacrifice yourself in order to let someone else you love survive.  I’m not sure if I could, or if I’d want to…because the world was pretty bleak in the book.  Not enough food or water, ash everywhere, ridiculous weather and natural disasters…

I also like that it’s told in journal entries.  Miranda’s keeping track of what happens, and I thought that made the story a lot more interesting.

It gets a 4 out of 5.  It makes you think, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

The Books: Winter’s Passage (Iron Fey 1.5) and Summer’s Crossing (Iron Fey 3.5) by Julie Kagawa

The Info: Both are published by Harlequin Teen; Winter’s Passage is 59 pages, while Summer’s Crossing is 72 pages; both are only available as e-books

The Summary: Winter’s Passage takes place between The Iron King and The Iron Daugher.  It’s about Ash escorting Meghan to the Winter Court.  Summer’s Crossing takes place between The Iron Queen and The Iron Knight.  It’s about Ash going to the Summer Court in order to retrieve something Titania stole from Leansidhe.

First up: Summer’s Crossing.  It was interesting to see the favor Ash had to pay back, and I liked it more than I thought I would.  Ash and Puck without Meghan?  That was interesting.  Their dynamic has always been interesting, but without Meghan?  It’s amazing they didn’t try to kill each other.  It gets a 4 out of 5.

As for Winter’s Passage, I liked it, but not as much as the rest of the series.  There was something very familiar about it, like I had read it before.  Like it was cut from The Iron Daughter or something.  I didn’t feel like it added anything to the series- it was just there.  It gets a 3 out of 5.

Book: Into The Vietnamese Kitchen by Andrea Quynhgiao Nguyen

Book Info: Published by Ten Speed Press; 352 pages; hardcover; from the library

Goodreads Summary: When author Andrea Nguyen’s family was airlifted out of Saigon in 1975, one of the few belongings that her mother hurriedly packed for the journey was her small orange notebook of recipes. Thirty years later, Nguyen has written her own intimate collection of recipes, INTO THE VIETNAMESE KITCHEN, an ambitious debut cookbook that chronicles the food traditions of her native country. Robustly flavored yet delicate, sophisticated yet simple, the recipes include steamy pho noodle soups infused with the aromas of fresh herbs and lime; rich clay-pot preparations of catfish, chicken, and pork; classic bánh mì sandwiches; and an array of Vietnamese charcuterie. Nguyen helps readers shop for essential ingredients, master core cooking techniques, and prepare and serve satisfying meals, whether for two on a weeknight or 12 on a weekend.

I really liked this cookbook.  Granted, I only made a few things from it, but what I did make, I liked.

There were a bunch of recipes I wanted to make, but didn’t have the chance to, so I’m planning on checking it out another time.  I’m not sure about the authenticity of the recipes, but honestly, I wouldn’t know the difference.

Some of the recipes looked really complicated, but after making them, they really weren’t that complicated.  There’s a lot of steps involved with some of the recipes, so they don’t seem good for weeknight cooking.

A lot of the ingredients were easy to find at the grocery store, but an Asian market would also be a good place to find the ingredients.  Probably.  I think.

My only complaint is there are not a lot of pictures.  There doesn’t have to be one for every recipe, but since this is the 1st time I’ve cooked Vietnamese food, pictures of what things are supposed to look like would be really helpful.

Overall, it gets a 4 out 5.  Things are explained pretty well, but more pictures and a better explanation of the different kinds of noodles are needed.

Book: The Line by Teri Hall

Book Info: Published by Dial; 219 pages; hardcover; from the library

Goodreads Summary: An invisible, uncrossable physical barrier encloses the United States. The Line is the part of the border that lopped off part of the country, dooming the inhabitants to an unknown fate when the enemy used a banned weapon. It’s said that bizarre creatures and superhumans live on the other side, in Away. Nobody except tough old Ms. Moore would ever live next to the Line.

Nobody but Rachel and her mother, who went to live there after Rachel’s dad died in the last war. It’s a safe, quiet life. Until Rachel finds a mysterious recorded message that can only have come from Away. The voice is asking for help.

Who sent the message? Why is her mother so protective? And to what lengths is Rachel willing to go in order to do what she thinks is right?

I’m not sure what to think of The Line.  It was interesting, but something about it was very simple.

There isn’t any resolution in the book, and everything that came up was still a mystery at the end.  I couldn’t connect with the characters or the world in which they lived because we know so little about them.  I felt like everything and everyone was just there.

The basic premise is really interesting and really cool, but it just didn’t come together.  It was also boring, and not much happened.  And the ending!  It didn’t feel like a proper ending.  It felt like someone randomly decided that’s where the book should end…almost like it was supposed to be longer.  And decided to stretch this series out as long as possible.

It gets a 2 out of 5.  The idea was cool. but the story wasn’t as good as I thought.

Book: The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

Book Info: Published by Harlequin Teen; 358 pages; paperback; from the library

Goodreads Summary: My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who’s sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I’m not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

I really like the Iron Fey series, and so far, this is my favorite book of the series.

I loved Meghan in this book, and I loved seeing her sacrifice herself in order to save the Nevernever.  One of my favorite things about this series is the fact that faeries have been given a reboot, and there’s the Iron Fey.  I thought it was interesting that Meghan had to combine her regular fairie powers and her Iron fey powers, and have it be successful.

I was surprised that Meghan and Ash were allowed to return to the Nevernever, and I have to say…I want Ash and Meghan to be together.  And they can’t, because Meghan’s the Iron Queen, and it just wouldn’t work out.  But I want it too!

I liked Razor, who reminded me of Dobby!  And Grimalkin was his usual self.  He is one of my favorite characters, and I love every scene he’s in!

I can’t wait to read the next book.  I give it a 4 out of 5!

Book: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Book Info: Published by Katherine Tegen Books; 487 pages; hardcover; from the library

Goodreads Summary: In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

Oh.  My.  God.  This was such a hard book to put down.  I certainly get the buzz surrounding this book.  I really liked it, and it was well-paced.  It also had a lot of action, and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

I thought the idea of people focusing on one thing, like courage or intelligence or selflessness was really interesting.  I thought Roth did a great job at showing how focusing on one thing above all others can go very wrong.  You really get a sense that picking sides can be really good, really bad, or somewhere in between, and the problems that can arise when people are so focused on something that they lose sight of everything else.

I thought Tris was interesting, but I had a love-hate relationship with her.  I liked that she struggled with the faction she wanted to go with, and that she felt happy with her decision.  But she went from underdog to kick-ass heroine way too fast for me, and that didn’t feel real to me.  There were a few deaths in the book, and I just didn’t care.  It was hard to connect with a lot of characters, because I felt like I didn’t get to know any of them.

I so want to learn more about the different factions, and how they came to be.  It seems interesting, and I want to know more about them!  And the factionless!  I want to know more about them too.  I can’t wait until Insurgent comes out, because I’d really like to know where things are headed and what will happen next!

I give it a 4 out of 5!  It went by really fast, and I hope to see the characters grow more in the next book.

Book: The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott

Book Info: Published by Knopf Doubleday; 306 pages; hardcover; borrowed from the library

Goodreads Summary: Just in time for the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic comes a vivid, romantic, and relentlessly compelling historical novel about a spirited young woman who survives the disaster only to find herself embroiled in the media frenzy left in the wake of the tragedy.
 
Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she’s had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be a personal maid on the Titanic’s doomed voyage. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men, one a roughly-hewn but kind sailor and the other an enigmatic Chicago millionaire. But on the fourth night, disaster strikes. 
 
Amidst the chaos and desperate urging of two very different suitors, Tess is one of the last people allowed on a lifeboat. Tess’s sailor also manages to survive unharmed, witness to Lady Duff Gordon’s questionable actions during the tragedy. Others—including the gallant Midwestern tycoon—are not so lucky. 
 
On dry land, rumors about the survivors begin to circulate, and Lady Duff Gordon quickly becomes the subject of media scorn and later, the hearings on the Titanic. Set against a historical tragedy but told from a completely fresh angle, The Dressmaker is an atmospheric delight filled with all the period’s glitz and glamour, all the raw feelings of a national tragedy and all the contradictory emotions of young love.

I liked this more than I expected.  I really liked that this book was about the aftermath.  It was nice to see a book about the Titanic that’s about the aftermath, because I feel like a lot of books would focus on what happened onboard.

It’s not something you really think about it, is it?  I mean, when I hear Titanic, I think sinking ship and horrible disaster.  But I never really thought about what happened after it sunk.  I didn’t know that there were hearings after the Titanic sank, so I definitely want to learn more about that.  I liked that Alcott chose to write her version of the events that unfolded after the Titanic sank.

I didn’t like Lady Duff Gordon at all, and Alcott did a wonderful job of making her unlikeable.  Tess was irritating at times, but you also see a woman who wants to start over and get a chance to become a seamstress.  You see a lot of characters who made decisions that are later questioned in the hearings.  It really makes you think about what you would do, and that everything is not always in black and white.

It was pretty fast-paced, and Alcott did a good job with keeping things moving. The characters were interesting, there was a lot of detail, and fact and fiction were hard to tell apart.

It was an enjoyable read, and I give it a 4 out of 5.